Crisis and Resilience Fund

New £21m fund to support Nottingham residents and strengthen community resilience

Nottingham City Council is launching a new multi-million pound programme to support residents facing financial hardship, while investing in longer-term help to prevent people falling into crisis.

The new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will open for community grant applications on 25 May, with a total of £21.2 million available to support projects and programmes of support over three years from now until to March 2029. The council has extended and continued its support to a range of existing Household Support Fund support programmes through local organisations, as part of the interim CRF arrangements from April 2026 through until July 2026.

The fund replaces the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF), which has supported Nottingham residents since 2021. While HSF has focused on providing short-term emergency help, the CRF will continue that vital support while placing a stronger emphasis on prevention, resilience and strengthening community-based services.

Through the fund, residents will still be able to access help in times of immediate need, including financial support during emergencies and assistance to help people stay in their homes. Alongside this, the programme will invest in services that help people manage financially in the longer term, ensuring they are better supported to avoid future hardship. A key focus will be on improving how support is joined up across the city, making it easier for residents to access help through a “no wrong door” approach.

CRF Community Grants

A central part of the programme is a new community grants scheme, opening on 25 May 2026. Local voluntary and community organisations, charities and grassroots groups will be able to apply for funding to deliver support in neighbourhoods across Nottingham. This will include projects that help residents currently experiencing financial hardship, prevent others from falling into financial difficulty, and strengthen the networks of support already in place within communities.

The CRF Community Grants will open every six months from May 2026 until July 2028 and be open for a period of six weeks for applications.

The introduction of the CRF marks an important shift from the short-term Household Support Fund which closed in March 2026, to a more stable, locally shaped programme over three years. This longer-term approach moves away from short term measures such as food and fuel vouchers and will allow the council and its partners to plan ahead, invest in sustainable services, and build on the strong partnerships developed in recent years.

Support for Residents

From the 25 May 2026 Support will be available for residents in the following ways:

• New Website Pages – a dedicated set of website pages will be available to provide easy access to the support available for residents, including:
  • Discretionary Housing Payments
  • Energy Support and Efficiency SchemesHousing Support Services
  • Housing Support Services
  • Employment Support and Programmes
  • Applying for Crisis Payments, Help and Assistance
  • Benefits Checking System
  • Apply for Benefits
  • Community Directory Information
  • CRF Community Grants Scheme
  • Community Grants Directory

Key Features

• Apply for Help and Assistance – residents will be able to complete an online form to request emergency financial help and assistance from the fund. This will include a welfare support referral to the Advice Nottingham group plus other appropriate organisations. In addition, where a resident is currently in financial crisis, an emergency payment may also be made to assist them subject to relevant checks through the Post Office Counters system.
• Benefit Checking System – the council will provide an online checker that is available for all residents and organisations helping residents to use, to check if they are missing out on any benefits they may be entitled to. Residents will also be provided with the necessary links to apply for these benefits directly or by using the links provided on the website.
• Community Grants Directory – The council will compile a list of all its current community grants that are available for organisations to bid for, with summary details and application details to make these as accessible as possible. The CRF Community Grants will also be listed on this page.

Community Support Organisations

The following organisations are working in partnership with the council to support vulnerable residents in Nottingham.

Advice Nottingham

Operates six advice centres across the city to provide help and assistance to residents.

• www.citizensadvicenottingham.org.uk
• https://www.asklion.co.uk/kb5/nottingham/directory/advice.page?id=XMqDiqyiDb0

Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

• https://www.mtvh.co.uk/support-and-advice/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/

Food Banks

Nottingham has a large network of food banks that can provide urgent help If you are in need of food. Many operate a referral process. You can find your nearest food bank online:

• Food Banks | Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory

FoodPrint

foodprint Sneinton | 101 Sneinton Road, NG2 4QL 
Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 10:00am - 4:30pm

foodprint Radford | Units 4-5 Forest Court, Gamble Street, NG7 4EX
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 10am - 4pm

Visit website: Foodprint - Reduced Cost Supermarket

Hygiene Bank

Visit website: The Hygiene Bank

Help with Energy Efficiency Measures for Nottingham Residents

Proactive help for residents is available in the following ways:

Housing Association Tenants

If you are a Housing Association tenant, you should contact your housing provider first to discuss any schemes they have to support you with reducing your energy costs and improving your homes efficiency. There may also be schemes that can help you on the AskLion webpages below.

Enviroenergy Customer Support

Enviroenergy supplies District Heating to over 5,000 domestic customers in Nottingham. Our dedicated Customer Service Team is trained to provide expert Energy Efficiency advice. If a home visit is required, one of our qualified engineers will attend and offer tailored guidance based on the property size, the number of occupants, and the installed equipment.

Call: 0115 955 6677
Email: customersupport@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm

Nottingham Energy Partnership

Nottingham Energy Partnership can provide a wide range of help, support and advice for all Nottingham residents who want to reduce their energy bills. You can visit their website or contact them here

Website: Nottingham Energy Partnership
Call: 0115 985 9057
Address: Top Floor, Queens Walk Community Centre, Queens Walk, The Meadows, Nottingham, NG2 2DF
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5.30pm.  On Friday we close at 4:30pm.

Ask Lion – Help with Bills

You can visit the AskLion website for lots of ways to improve your energy efficiency and reduce your household bills, see the link below for more information

Prioritise And Reduce Your Bills | Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory